Catch The Angel Before She Falls
by Hello Kit
Summary: This is just a little story with Gundam pilots and FY characters...lets just say it gets interesting...
1. Flying Blind Without Wings

Notes – Author knows as much as you can learn from 2 Gundam-pilot-obsessed fans without actually seeing enough of the series to gather much on characters

Notes – Author knows as much as you can learn from 2 Gundam-pilot-obsessed fans without actually seeing enough of the series to gather much on characters. Then again, you learn the most about Gundam pilots from the fanfic anyway – or so I'm told. The author got obsessed w/ Fushigi Yuugi, seen the entire series so there's no lack of character certainty there. All characters in this fanfic are based upon real people who will all probably hate the way in which they are portrayed, but they'll just have to deal with it cuz it's the author's fanfic and you can't tell her how to write her own story. So sit down, get some rice, and enjoy.

"SHIT!" Heero's voice was heard on all five headsets. In the mists of the universe five Gundams flew far from any known ally, but fortunately equally distant from enemy territory. 

"What's going on Wing Zero?" Duo was the first to ask.

"Oz spies-" was all they heard before an explosion from the leg of the Wing Zero.

"Heero!" Trowa tried to get a hold of the other pilot. "Heero – come in."

"Mother fuckers-" and other profanities. 

"Oz spies planted bombs on the Wing Zero, but only to slow it down – not deadly," Wufei reported. "Check your Gundams – there may be more."

"I can't fucking keep going – too many engines were blown out." Heero was pissed as his Gundam slowed down.

"Heero - Don't self-destruct – let me check where we can land." Trowa scanned the maps he drew out on his screen. "Small, human-inhabited with shitty, but stable atmosphere – we can land here – 2000 miles ahead, we can make it."

"Hang in there," Duo Maxwell was optimistic. "We'll all do some repairing there – my engine's getting shitty on me."

"Atmosphere?" was Heero's response. "Will I make it through an atmosphere?"

"Hmmm..." Trowa was doubtful.

"Hang in there," hopeful Quatre encouraged.

"If you could go anywhere in the universe right now – just board a ship and leave – where would you go?" Illini asked kneeling with everyone else at the table.

"Right now?" Unica chewed some chicken, looking out the living room's massive windows where the wall she would be facing would have been. The bright sun's rays lit up the room's colorful woven rugs, furniture and paintings. The girls wore robes, each a different color describing their personas. Illini always wore black, Unica's purple threads were mysterious, and Mena's green matched her eyes and sense for adventure. Outside the wind blew in the green grass that made up a massive yard and created waves in the lake not far from the house. Houses were spread apart, but it was a very highly populated town. 

"Am I driving?" Mena wanted to know. As small as she was for her last year as a teenager, she was a skilled pilot and a brilliant mathamition. 

"Yeah really," Unica looked to her best friend. "And what are you flying?"

"It doesn't matter." Illini sucked on her chopsticks after sticking some sushi into her mouth.

"Well any planet is better than this one-" Unica would answer first. "I'd be with someone *cough* Duo *cough* in his Gundam-"

"Yeah, I'll take a Gundam any day!" Mena's parents wouldn't let her fly, but it still was imprinted in her mind that one day she would. Illini was her little sister, and they were both very insolated from things other teens their ages did. Hell, this was why fifteen-year-old Illini was stuck inside on a nice day with her older sister and Mena's best friend, who spent so much time around them both that the three were equally best friends. 

"Well where would you go?"

"I'd go anywhere I as long as I could fly." Mena answered.

"Yeah and you wouldn't be with anyone-" Unica mocked her shyness.

"Hey- I would too."

"Yeah then who?"

"I don't want to say – I'm fine alone right now."

"You guys just defended the point of the question." Illini wasn't heard so she continued to eat her rice balls. She looked out the window Unica had at the perfect blue sky dotted with big puffy clouds. She would go anywhere it took to get her happy. Someplace peaceful to clear her mind of thoughts she didn't want in there. Would she want to be with a 'someone'? If there was a someone out there that could understand her, then by all means, let him be there. Yet, to just get through those clouds...

"What the-" Unica's eyes widened seeing a red object entering the atmosphere sending all the clouds in the sky scattering. Down came the flaming object, hitting the ground so hard it sent a wave through the ground shaking everything in the house. Cups spilled onto the white carpet and a vase broke in the hall. "Holy shit!"

"What was that?!" Mena stood up.

"I don't know-" Mena had all ready read Unica's mind and was out the door. "Let's find out."  
Illini blinked in a sort of light shock. The sky was clear and she watched as four other objects came into view, but these landing instead of crashing. She began to mop up the new stain on the carpet, but her curiosity pulled her out the door. 

Running in flip flop wooden sandals wasn't easy yet Unica and Mena kept themselves moving at a steady pace towards the hills beyond the lake and forest lining it. They knew their way taking paths through the forest. "Mena!" Unica pointed towards the sky through the branches. "Gundams!"

"What?" she too tilted her head skyward. "You're right! They're landing in the forests!"

"Oh crap." Unica stopped running and it wasn't just because she saw the Shenlong landing in a clearing not far from her. This meant Duo would be with them. Her blood grew cold before she became a bit gitty fixing her hair, which was held up in a sloppy bun.

"Shenlong!" Mena began to run towards it.

"Mena, let them _all_ land." Unica was as inpatient as her friend.

"Do you know what this means?!" Mena called back.

"Uh-yeah." Unica smiled, but then turned hearing running behind her. Pacing his way through the forest was Trowa who hadn't quite seemed to notice their presence.

"You-woman – we need a doctor!" Wufei had emerged from the Shenlong Gundam. 

"What happened?" Mena was a little dumbstruck, but she managed to ask the question to his back as he headed in the same direction as Trowa. Not having an answer to their question, the two girls figured they'd have to seek it and they too began to run. 

They came to the smoking wreck of the Wing Gundam. Unica gasped at the sight – or maybe it was just seeing Duo bent over digging through the pieces. Quatre, approaching from the other direction began to help Duo clear rocks off the Gundam in order to find their fifth pilot. 

"They're going to need a doctor," Mena said as if Wufei hadn't. Turning to Unica, she asked her to go back and get one.

"You go back," she didn't want to leave this scene.

"You're faster." Neither did Mena.

"I found him!" Trowa announced his discovery. "He's unconscious."  
"Go-" Unica urged her.

"No," Mena headed to help out leaving Unica frustrated.

"What happened?" Illini was breathless coming out from the forest.

"Quick-" Unica turned to her. "I need you to go back to the house and call a doctor. Tell them it's an emergency." Nodding after taking a glance at the crash, Illini spun around and headed back.

Pulling Heero out, he was laid out on the grass and Trowa looked him over – a broken arm and possibly internal bleeding, neither would do him much good. Bowing to show respect, Unica presented herself, "I am Unica Drababosa-"

"I'm Mena Oberon," Mena cut in, "You can bring him to my house – it's through the forest and around the lake – we can get a doctor to him quickly."

"Thank you," Trowa looked up to them.

"Anything for Gundam pilots." Unica smiled to Duo.

Opening his eyes, Heero couldn't see very clearly at first. He was on a bed now, but where? There was a window above his bed, but the sun was above the house. Looking down on him were a set of kind eyes of a doctor. "We almost lost you there," his low voice informed the pilot.

"Shoulda lost me-" Heero suddenly felt pain in his arm and it silenced him. His eyes closed tight he heard the doctor again.

"Don't try to move much – you also broke a rib." 

"Shit!" Heero cussed under his breath and laid his head back being instructed to get some sleep. He wasn't going anywhere.

Wufei was tired of looking down at the wounded Heero. He and Trowa stood outside the bedroom in the hallway.

"I guess we're stuck here," Trowa sighed.

"Why don't you and Quatre keep going, Duo and I will work on the Wing Zero." Wufei could plan without having dwelt on the situation long. "We shouldn't make ourselves look tardy to the Emperor of Konan. Explain what happened and we'll contact you if there are any parts we need." Mena had offered her house to the Gundam pilots and her help – Unica agreed they were welcomed to anything that they would need. 

It wouldn't be long before word was out that the five Gundams had landed on the planet. It was as if the pilots were celebrities to the people on the planet, yet most understood they needed the space and time to restore what had been damaged. Joenen, a friend of the Oberon sisters appeared on their doorstep, knowing that since their parents were out of town that he was safe stepping on the territory (Watch out! It's a skitzo with a gun! No wait...that's mom...Joenen – RUN! - bad memories). Older than them all, he seemed to be the pilot's ages when meeting them. "Its nice to have met you before you left," he said to Trowa and Quatre as the four pilots, three girls, and Joenen knelt down for dinner. The meal had been prepared by Illini who was rather pushed aside from the commotion, though it had given her the time to make enough food to feed all eight of them, not to mention make soup for Heero.

"Will it be hard to keep townspeople out of the picture?" Wufei asked as Quatre began to talk with Joenen.

"Well, we'll do our best," Mena answered him.

"This is great rice." Duo devoured a bowl easily.

"Thank you." Illini ate staring at her chopsticks – they were pretty.

"Believe me," Unica told him, "if anyone can make rice, it's this chick. She lives off it."

"I would _love_ to see the Deathscythe," Joenen cut in, receiving a glare from Unica he never noticed. "I mean, I've been drawing possible additions to the Gundams since I was ten. You might want to take a look at them, Duo."

"Sure." Duo always loved the attention his Gundam gets. 

"Did the doctor say how long it'll take to restore Heero?" Unica asked.

"A couple of days before he'll feel up to waking and being active," Quatre decided to answer the question. "His Gundam needs a lot of work."  
"I'm sure we can handle it," Duo reassured them all. "Joenen and Mena, you can help also."  
"If you need another set of hands for anything, just tell me what to do," Unica added trying not to stare at the love of her life sitting just across the table from her. "I'm not doing much else."

_Women..._ Wufei hid his own glare.

Repairing the next day started bright and early and Duo was already tired of it. Trowa and Quatre left and with the sun rising, the metal Gundams would become really hot. Duo knew that soon there would be a point where he couldn't even hold his own tools. Joenen was all over repairing the Wing Zero so it was almost a situation where Duo could just sit back since Joenen wanted to do all the tough work. For breakfast Unica brought these caffeine drinks called _Frappuccinos. _ He noticed her. Her dark hair was long and in it she wore many woven colored ribbons of the same purple as her robes. She had done the paintings in the living room that displayed her talent.

He thought of it all while taking his third break that morning and just staring at the lake. She was tempting, why not? Yet something about her... "Hiya!" Unica popped out from behind. "You seem to be working hard."

"All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy," Duo grinned pushing his hat up to reveal his eyes. 

"Of all the pilots, I'd think the Fraps had the most effect on you." 

"Can I have another?" he joshed.

"Well I'm not done with mine-"

"Hey." Heero didn't budge. Illini poked him a bit till he twitched and his eyes shot open. He looked to Illini. Having never seen her before she received a strange look. "I brought you some more soup."

"I had soup last night." he was pissy. 

"Well," she looked down at the thick soup she held. "I could put it in a breadbowl for you."

"How about something solid."

"Soup's better when you're sick." she didn't seem hurt, if he didn't eat it she would.

"I'm not sick."

"Fine," she had rice with her also. "Rice for you." Picking some up with the chopsticks she offered it to him.

"I'm not five." He just stared up at her when she held the rice to his mouth.

"You're acting like it." She was gradually becoming pissed and her tone told him that. He struggled to sit up, but without her help, he couldn't. Lying back down he rested for a moment. Neither said a thing for the minute he looked back at her. He ate the rice in front of his face.

Joenen and Mena worked hard on the Wing Zero. They fought over who would be the first to test it to see if it actually worked. "Can you believe how young these pilots are and here we are not able to touch things such as these?" Mena mentioned as she repaired a bend metal piece. Wufei had gone searching for Duo so the two were alone.

"Really – just wait till officials come around and take us away from these," Joenen almost showed an emotion of attachment. 

"Yeah..." Mena sighed. She wanted to fly so badly. It was all she thought about, even in her sleep. Out near the house, some distance away, but since she was high upon the hills she had a good view, she could see her sister taking some time to herself. Illini drew and wrote poetry for her pictures when she wasn't cooking rice. Mena made a note to thank her for all that she was doing. That morning she had kept away some reporters and had just hung up the pilot's clothes to dry, those that hadn't been washed in ages. Right now, the two of them wore only black baggy pants that had been lying around the house. Wufei topless... 

Trish knocked on the front door three times and no one answered. Illini had been home when she called, and she knew she was coming. Making her way around the house Trish practically tumbled over in her own clumsiness just seeing the Deathscythe in the distance. Duo Maxwell...her heart fluttered. 

"Illini!" she called to her friend sitting in the grass with a sketchbook on her lap and a pencil in her hand. Quickly putting everything she was doing to a halt, Illini closed the book and stood brushing off her black and silver robes that always seemed to make her pale skin glow. Her whitish blonde hair was up in two rolls behind her head like everyday. "There are Gundams in your backyard." 

"That's why I called," Illini smiled as the two joshed. "I don't know a thing about them." The two had walked to meet each other and keeping her voice low, Illini added, "I won't let you miss your chance." They smiled to each other.

Looking beyond her friend, Illini saw Unica approaching in a bit of a trance as she spun within her own blissful daydream. Twice, she had to call her name before Unica blinked into reality. "Where's Duo?"

"Back there," With a fingernail in her mouth, Unica was a bit embarrassed having been seen as she pointed her thumb back towards the Wing Zero. She stood bird-footed and bounced on her toes like a little girl. Yet seeing the new girl, her suspicion rose. "Why?"  
"She wants to meet him," Illini pointed Trish on and she was gone.

"Oh," Now eyes were slits seeing the new girl run off.

"Duo Maxwell?" Trish couldn't believe her eyes seeing him there with a strange-looking tool. Just like all the pictures she had in her room, he was perfect in her eyes. 

"Hey Trish," Mena recognized the familiar face. From above them all Wufei was just a bit more pissed seeing more women as distractions.

"Trish?" Duo said the name causing the new girl to blush. He charmed and bowed deeply kissing her hand. With those sort of actions, she could have been knocked out. Instead she tripped taking one tiny step forwards. Duo lunged out to catch her. It was like a dream come true to her staring up into his blue eyes. "Careful." He helped her to her feet.

"I try to be," she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm too clumsy for help. My mom calls me Trish Trip. Tripping is all I'm good at." Now she hated herself for spitting out stupid information. Though being Duo, he laughed. 

"I'm sure that's not true," he reassured her. "Ever flown a Gundam?"

"No." she was surprised by the question.

"Then how do you know you're no good at it?" he started to bring her toward the Gundam.

Unica was glad once Trish left, but it wasn't till around dinner. She was inside the house hearing Heero screaming for every single thing he didn't need. "You're not one for being confined, are you?" she really didn't have to ask the question, but was poking fun at him.

"I'll spit on you." His threat was weak.

"Your broken rib is going to keep you in this bed, and if you keep talking like that you'll be alone," she shot her own threats out. 

"Get Wufei," he ordered  
"Say the magic word."  
"Fuck you." He was very stubborn and was about to attempt the sit up, but the pain returned.

"You know what," she said with a smirk after watching him there for a moment. "I'll get you something." The next time Heero would wake, he was tied to the bed (chains would have held him better, but I didn't want you to think it was any type of foreshadowing...).

On the second day of repair, Duo and Wufei had decided to avoid seeing Heero – he was getting annoying and they had Gundams to re-repair. Joenen had believed he knew what he was doing, but he'd only build little model Gundams, the real things were far more complicated. In the shade of a wing, Duo worked while Joenen now simply assisted and kept him company. 

"I'm sorry about this fuck-ups." Joenen had already apologized for the twentieth time.

"It's cool," again, Duo had said. "Let it go – we're going to get this thing fixed."

"Yeah, but I don't want you thinking I'm trying to keep you guys here any longer than you need to be or anything," Joenen spoke his mind. "I mean you guys are so awesome to just meet."

"Yeah?" Duo smiled up at his work. "Well its cool meeting you all too." 

"Me?" Joenen cracked a smile. "Or them," he nodded a bit toward Mena and Unica who were working on the math of things. Duo knew that he'd caught on and the two laughed.

"Yeah, well-"

"I saw you and that Trish chick." Joenen raised his eyebrows, "And Unica...sharing drinks and letting her draw you after dinner – ladies' man."  
"Well if I'm going to be here, I'm going to flirt – just try and stop me!" Duo laughed.

"Stay as long as you want." Joenen held his arms open welcoming.

Duo paused in his work, "I've got a question."

"Shoot." Joenen tossed a wrench in his right hand and watched it as he listened.

"What do you think of-" Duo couldn't believe he was turning shy.

"Of.." Joenen was left hanging, but he kept tossing that wrench.

"_Asking Illini about me – how about it_?" Duo spit those words out so quickly the sentence was just a blob. Joenen looked to him, not having been able to process the words so fast. 

"So let me get this strait," a smile slowly broke out on his face. "You can flirt with every girl, but the one you like?"  
"It's kinda like that," Duo shrugged a bit. "I don't see her much."

"Well, I hate to burst this for you, man, but you're not going to be seeing her much after the Gundams are fixed." Joenen pointed out. "I mean, I'll do this for you, but know how the storys' going to end." Duo didn't look to the spiked hair guy anymore, but nodded silently. 

"Wufei?" Mena called into the depths of the Wing Zero. He did the deep wiring work while the others worked on the outside repairs. Mena was sure she could understand anything he told her about how to work the Gundam. She already knew how to fly one. Instruction manuals weren't hard to find on the net.

"Yes?" He was crouched low in front of a box rewiring with a metal-melter. His only light was a small flashlight held not far from his work.

"I finished the outer shield paint," she informed him. "You are aware that I can be doing much more...complicated work, right?"

"You are aware that I don't normally trust...females with Gundams, right?" he didn't mean to mock her, it wasn't in his tone, it was just the way Wufei was.

"So you've never considered a sixth Gundam pilot?" Mena was making her way slowly closer down into the Gundam for the conversation.

"Why would I?" he spoke, but wasn't really paying much attention to the words.

"I was just asking," she acted as if it didn't really matter. "I mean if there were ever some sort of tryouts for the position-"

"You're not material enough," he cut her off.

"Oh."

"Women, they're weak." He'd said this many times before... "Wouldn' trust them behind a Gundam. Just is – understand?"

"Anything else you need done?" Mena was already outside the Gundam.

"Just shut up already!" Unica called to the pilot strapped down in the guestroom. She laid on her stomach on a flowered rug letting the high sun be her light. Working on the finishing touches on her Duo portrait he wouldn't see until the time was just right.

"You are aware that I am going to kill you, right?" Heero continued to yell at her from his room.  
"Go kill yourself."

"Don't tempt me!" Does he ever shut up?! Using her purple marker, she colored in her own robes on the paper. It would be a wonderful drawing, but Unica felt that an actual photograph of his arms around her waist would be far more valuable. The actual touch would be priceless.

"If you kill yourself then will you be quiet?" Unica asked him, but spoke only to herself.

"I want _FOOD_!" he was always hungry – he was a guy.

"I'm not Illini – I don't cook!" Unica screamed over her shoulder.

"What about ice cream?" this was turning into a conversation.

"You're gonna get fat." 

"I'm _not fat!_" Heero was insulted.

"I said, you're _going to_ get fat!"

"You know what I'm going to do?!" back to threats. "I'm going to kill you!"

"Hey," Illini came in from outside She was in the kitchen, which was separated from the living room by only a counter so looking over it, Unica knew Illini could see her lying there with a sketchbook. "Whatcha drawing?" she asked and Unica rolled out of the way to give her a clear view. Heero was trying to get attention by blasting the radio in his room, but it was a good song and at perfect volume to their ears.

"You've always been better than me,"  
"I'm also older." Unica reminded her. "More experience."

"Yeah," Illini agreed and shrugged. "I've just been drawing shit basically."

"Cook!" Heero called turning down his radio having heard Illini's voice. "Food before I kill you!"

"Yes, _master._" Unica watched Illini roll her eyes turning to the rice cooker. She would then begin taking out seaweed for sushi.

"I need more than just rice!" Heero seemed to know what she would be cooking. "I need meat!"

"He knows I don't cook dead animals." Illini said not responding to Heero. "Though Trish said she'd bring over Tacos tomorrow night. Duo told her that he'd never had them before." Unica's eyes held a bit of a glare now realizing that the battle for Duo was serious. Why had he taken Trish out flying and not her? The flirting over Frappuccinos had been there, yet how far had it gone with Trish? How far will it go? Trish was his age, but Unica felt she had a lot more going for her than that tripping chick. Unica knew she would have to make it all look casual to stay inconspicuous, but she knew what she'd have to do to change the flow of things. She grinned at the thought looking down at her portrait. 

"Hey Ill, what's cookin'?" Joenen tumbled into with a grin on his face. He stroked his goatee as he said, "I love your name, you know."

"Thanks," she knew he just liked saying 'Ill'. "So do I." 

"So what, are you making dinner?" he hung around. Illini nodded, but Unica wasn't watching. She really wasn't paying much attention to them anymore, that was until Joenen said, "I've got to talk to about-" looking to the living room, he paused. "Hey, could we get a moment in private?"

Unica shrugged and picked up her things, "Whatever." She felt them watch her go.

Mena examined the Wing Zero's left leg for the fifth time that day. Wufei could just go gay for all she cared at that moment. He wasn't going to have any luck with girls with his attitude. So why was she still attracted?... Though love shouldn't be something that's on her mind right now, especially crushing on someone who'd be gone in a day. Even if anything were to happen it wasn't as if she'd see him often, or even ever again. He was a Gundam pilot, she wasn't. Convinced she never would be. 

"I'm not stupid," Illini finally turned and looked at him directly. "There's a reason why you'd ask me something like that."

"I just wanted to know what you thought of him," Joenen shrugged as if it was no big deal, but Illini saw through him The sushi was finished and Heero was again blasting music for attention. Illini took the tray in her hands and headed for his room. Joenen would have stayed in the kitchen, but he heard her say something not facing him so he had to catch up to ask, "What?"  
"I said I've got Heero to feed right now," she was in the bedroom when he caught up with her.

"Sushi?!" Heero saw the meal.

"Yeah, eat up." she picked up a piece with chopsticks and held it to his mouth.

"I hate this." Heero spoke while chewing. Having to be fed like a child, Heero wanted as few people around him as possible.

"I mean I know there's a reason behind all this," Illini jumped back to the conversation with Joenen. "Spit it out." Though Joenen seemed to swallow what was still on his mind in Heero's presence, and no, it wasn't the death glare Heero continued to give him. 

"Nevermind," Joenen left the room just as Heero decided to spit out the chewed up sushi.

"Stop acting like a little baby!" Illini took a fresh piece, put it in his mouth, and held it shut. 

"Mmmhgrrrr." Heero could only move the tips of his lips to produce sounds. "Nurrbbbnnnuuu."

"Will you chew it and swallow it like the 15-year-old you are?" Illini made him promise and he shook his head in her hands. She released him and he did as he promised.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked after the second piece.

"Doing what?" 

"Feeding me." he made the point that he could still feed himself.

"I don't trust you alone with yourself and food." she didn't know why she did what she did for him and at the moment didn't care to know either.

"You don't like me or anything," he suggested. "Do you?" The question caused her to blush even thought she knew very well she didn't have any particular feelings for Heero. 

"No, I don't." she said putting effort into her voice to make it sound confident. His eyes, they held a mystery that even with her own thoughts lost in the depth of her mind couldn't even bear to begin to figure out. His looks were as tempting as any other though she knew that he was one to stay away from.

"Good." his solid confidence was obvious. She held another piece to his mouth to end the conversation.

Joenen saw Mena's figure in the sun's bright final rays of the day as it was cut off by the horizon. The natural blinding orange light wouldn't be around much longer and the day's temperature would fall with the rising moon. "When do you plan on calling it quits?" Joenen called up to her. He was ready to leave, having eaten and packed up. Duo went in to watch some cable with Unica and Illini. As for Wufei, he was trying to calm Heero into meditation, though no one believed it would actually work. "Midnight?"  
"I just want to finish up on this wing." Mena was connected to the side of the Gundam by bungees and she seemed to enjoy it there. Yet when it came to work, she didn't show any signs of slowing down or even boredom. Illini had brought her dinner that had been left untouched. 

"It's a pretty big wing." Joenen had his hands on his hips. "You've got all of tomorrow, you know."

"Tomorrow I move to the right wing." Mena didn't sigh like anyone else would have at the idea of more work.

"Just do me a favor," Joenen knew he couldn't do much to stop a workaholic. 

"Yeah?"  
"Get some sleep tonight." he turned and headed to his pick-up truck.

"Hello?" Illini called into the Deathscythe that was 'parked' between the lake and the house. The sun was letting a warm temperature touch her skin, but a cool breeze made the blue sky perfect. The green of the grass stood out more and seemed to go on forever. She had just prepared lunch on the third day and it seemed as if everyone had deserted her. It was rough enough being the only one who would voluntarily cook, none the less given few thanks. With a tray in hand she searched each Gundam. Staring up the cockpit, she heard movement. "I brought-" Duo slipped out knocking right into her. Tray flipped rice bowls leaving grains mixed with grass. On her knees in seconds, she began to collect her things, "I'm sorry-"

"No," he saw what he had done and knelt down with her and picked up the chopsticks that had landed around their feet. "I'm sorry. I should look before I leap."

"I know-" she moved quickly gathering things. "I should have looked where I was standing." Any one else probably couldn't have grabbed her thin wrists to gain her attention. 

"Its OK," he looked right into her eyes. "It was my fault. Not yours." He was serious for that split second and then smiled to make her smile. It worked like a charm and she tried not to blush as she had trouble making eye contact. "I'll help you make some more rice."  
"No, that's all right," she had all the items on the tray again. "You've got a Gundam to work on."

"No, really-" He started to walk. "I'll help you – does it look like I want to be out here working on a Gundam?" his spirit brought hers up and though she knew what he had felt when he'd grabbed her wrists. 

Joenen had arrived that morning with Frapps for everyone and discovered a Mena in desprite need of one, "I told you to sleep."

"I did," she informed him with half opened eyes. "for a little while, but work crept into my mind and I was drawn back here."

"Good morning," Unica approached the two of them outside the Wing Zero. "Did you sleep last night, Mena? It doesn't seem as if you even moved from yesterday."

"That's what I'm saying!" Joenen gestured to Unica agreeing with her. "Are you doing this for Wufei or Heero?" Joenen couldn't keep himself from asking. "I mean, I know you want to be a Gundam pilot, but I doubt you can impress these guys."

"No, it's not that," Mena sighed. "I just love these things." She was discovering her feelings as she confessed this. "What brought them to me, I don't know. I just don't want to part with them."

"Don't get all mushy on the Gundam now," her best friend joked to lighten the mood. 

"Don't get all mushy on the Gundam pilots now," Joenen spoke to both of them. Unica put her hands on her hips.

"I am not!"

"Oh please," Mena turned her back to the soap opera and back to the wing she was hooked to. 

"You just came looking for Duo, right?" Joenen suggested.

"No," Unica instantly changed her original plans. "I was just bored, so I came over here."

"Well if you're so bored, could you do me the favor of taking my pick-up and filling the tank?" Joenen asked.

"Hey," Wufei popped out of the Gundam. "We need to go back to the crash sight – there's a critical piece missing." Mena nodded and came down from the wing. 

"So, I'd think someone like you would have a boyfriend." Duo had thrown out the old grass-rice and just watched the rice cooker boil as Illini fixed soup for whomever would want it. He held the end of his braid and seemed to play with it in his small talk.  
"Not really." she didn't look at him staring into the pot of broccoli cheddar soup. "Parents – ya know?"

"Oh,"  
"Don't get me wrong," she cracked a smile. "It's not like I haven't had a boyfriend behind their backs before." Sighing, she reflected on all those disappointments. "I'm a real loser magnet though – it's never been anything more than a couple days before I realized what I'd gotten myself into."

"Oh," Duo ran his right hand through his hair not sure what to say. "Geez," he took a breath. "I really hope you don't think I'm a loser," she looked up now. "Cuz I'm attracted to you." 

"Oh," she was an easy smile and could feel her cheeks turn a light shade of red. 

"You want a boyfriend?" he didn't know any other way to put it.

"Well," she didn't really like backing down from cute guys. "I don't really know you."

"That's what first dates are all about." he grinned trying to tempt her a bit as he convinced.

"And you don't really know me."  
"I'd like to get to know you." No, he's no good at being serious so he's still grinning like an idiot as she becomes serious.

"I don't think you really want to know me," now was when she turned her back to him. "I'm complicated..." she was having trouble saying all this. "I don't know if I should have a boyfriend right now."

"Oh," he was disappointed, but inside was really confused whether or not this was just an I'm-not-interested excuse or a real now-is-not-a-good-time. 

"I'm sorry." she looked at him yet looking towards his feet more than at his face. "I mean – Unica, she's really crushing on you!" Trying to lighten the conversation, "Do you have any idea how many of my friends – or just how many people in general – would hate me if I went out with you?" they both cracked a small laugh. 

"Well could you at least think about it?" he wanted a 'maybe' available before he left. "Sleep on it."

"Of course," she smiled a gentle smile. 

"Food!" Heero's voice echoed down the hall.


	2. Lightning Strikes Before Thunder

"Good news, we'll be able to take off tomorrow __

"Good news, we'll be able to take off tomorrow." Wufei reported after having found that piece of a gear, things had been working smoothly. Heero could sit up and feed himself now, but he was kept in the bed. He was extremely reckless to see his Gundam and inspect the repairs. Mena actually took ten minutes aside to take a shower before double checking her work. Unica and Joenen had been around and now Unica would be able to catch Duo at his own Gundam.

"So you talked to her-" Joenen paused seeing Unica come over. 

"Hey," Duo saw her also and smiled. "I haven't seen you all day."

"Yeah," Unica blushed a bit and smiled, her eyes going from his face to the ground having turned into Jell-O.

"Uh, I'll get back to you." Joenen pointed his finger like a gun at Duo as he left the scene.

"Those Frapps you brought this morning were great." Duo mentioned.

"Joenen brought them this morning." Unica put her hands behind her back as she leaned against the Gundam's base.

"Oh," he nodded a bit. "Good stuff – I ought to bring some with me."

"Yeah," her causal tone went down a notch. "You're going to be leaving...in a day."

"Well," he looked to cheer her up. "yeah, but I'll come back." 

"Will you?" she wanted a promise.

"Of course." Duo smiled. "You don't just make friends and never see them again."  
"Well as for your last night here I figured we could go to this nice place called, Panera." Unica didn't allow a smile to leave her face even as she spoke. "They have a lot of different soups; I prefer the broccoli cheddar."

"Yeah?" Duo smiled down to her. "Like the kind Illini made this afternoon." Damn it – Unica had forgotten about that.

"Well they have a lot of other things." Unica mentioned. "Just the two of us, it'll be kinda like a date." She had it come out just as she had wanted. Duo now wasn't so sure what kind of message he'd be sending out if he were to go with Unica and she knew he wasn't one to turn down a date with anyone.

"Well it is the last night here," Duo scratched the back of his head. "Usually we'd spend it as we did the first. And Illini will probably cook a big meal."

"Of rice – *again*." Unica reminded him, but then leaned for pity, "It's not _me_ is it?"

"No, no." he shook his head. "I just don't want to be impolite to everyone else."

"No ones going to care," she urged. "It'll be _fun_ and when will you have fun again?" He looked up at his Gundam causing her to add, "with a _girl_." That could mean a lot of things, but Unica didn't care because Duo shrugged,

"Well, as long as we're back for desert," he grinned. "Sure."

A purple car sped past Trish as she pulled up to Illini's house. With a bag of tacos and a bean burrito for Little Ms. Veggie, she went around back to find Illini setting a table that was in the backyard. Heero was seated and impatiently awaiting food. The three Gundams stood in a line facing the small house and Mena, Wufei, and Joenen walked over from them seeing that dinner had arrived.

"Where's Duo?" Trish asked seeing only the three approaching. 

"Unica said they'd be back soon," Illini told her. "She and him went to get some bottled Frappuccinos to take with him." 

"Oh," Trish nodded sitting down preparing to wait. 

"Frapps?" Joenen looked confused getting into the conversation. "Duo said they were going out for dinner for his last night on the planet." 

"Oh." Trish squeaked. Illini saw her eyes watering and was ready when her friend ran into the house. Illini waved to Mena to pass out the tacos, they would be a while.

"Women." Wufei shook his head and began to examine a taco.

  


The sun would set making the sky a masterpiece of Unica's purples and blues keeping the breeze. Trish had hidden within the house's walls not wanting anyone, but her friend to see her cry, "He said he would see me again and this is his last night here." 

"You're over reacting." Illini knew. "He's coming back and there's nothing between him and Unica." As far as she knew. "You know he'll be leaving anyway, why did you fall for him so badly?" 

"Shut up, you don't understand." Illini rolled her eyes – she was no good with this shit.

"Fine, but when he comes back and wants to know why you were crying, what should I tell him?" Illini made the point, "This is stupid!"

"Nice friend you are." 

"Well it is." Illini wouldn't lie.

"You two all right?" Mena came to check on her sister and friend. "The tacos are gone."  
"We'll be," Illini saw Trish cleaning up her act. "She just needs to calm down."  
"Yeah," Mena added some comfort. "Unica is too old for Duo anyway."

"We'll give her Heero." Illini made Trish laugh.

"Or Wufei." Trish added onto the joke.

"Well, I dunno about that-" Mena got out of the conversation. "Come back out, we'll go say good-bye to the Gundams or something."

"Or something." Illini wasn't sure how serious her sister was about those damn Gundams. Outside the wind really seemed to have picked up and there was some humidity in the air. 

"Thanks for the tacos," Joenen was polite to Trish acting as if nothing had happened.

"Yeah, meat is good." Heero looked to Illini. "It helps you live-" 

"That doesn't look good." Joenen observed cutting off Heero. Turning Trish faced Duo and Unica who had just arrived holding hands.

"Oh, you had tacos." Unica was pleased with Trish's shock. Truth of the matter is that Unica had just suddenly taken Duo's hand as they came around the side of the house, he was shocked himself. Trish squeaked. Illini looked away not wanting to get in the middle of this. Mena was looking out at the Gundams and Heero was finishing the last taco.

"Just leave Duo to his girl problems," Wufei had his arms crossed ignoring Duo's situation.

"No, I was talking about that-" Joenen pointed out at the sky, which had gone from it's masterpiece to Illini's colors of misery. Thunder roared announcing its approach. 

"Cover the Gundams!" Heero cried wanting to jump into action with the others, but was instead restricted to smaller actions. Illini cleared up the outside tables as the pilots set the Gundams so that they'd survive whatever was to come. 

"These are Gundams," Mena said as they hurried inside. "They'll brave whatever hit them."

"I just wonder about the lightning." Unica watched as a bolt cracked lighting the sky. Gathering in the living room, the large window facing the backyard made a show of the storm. It would be a harsh outbreak, but there was no basement to confine in. 

Wufei grumbled as gusts of wind spat rain on the large windows with a strong force. "Don't sit too closely to the windows." Mena advised him as the visibility outside went. 

"Will the lake flood?" Trish seemed to be the one only terribly worried. "Will it come up to the house?"  
"No, it's too far away." Joenen shook his head just as the power went out.

"Damn it," Heero didn't want to lose the AC to the humidity. 

"It could be worse." Duo pointed out. "Relena could be here." He received a glare

Trish needed someone to cling to and Duo was seated to her left. Though Unica just _happened_ to be seated a little too close to Duo and began to cling to him from the right exchanging glares with Trish. Illini had to laugh at the sight, though she kept her thoughts to herself as she decided to paint the color of the sky. It was Mena who decided to get out the candles when there were signs that the storm would bring the night. 

"I suppose everyone's stuck here." Unica said speaking directly to Duo. "I mean the Gundams will sink into the wet mud, putting you back a day and I'm not going driving tonight." 

"How unfortunate." Trish was more distracted by Unica's attitude than the storm right now. 

"Very," The tension between them could have created lightning. 

"Gotta pee." Duo felt the negative energy surging and knew he was in the middle of it. 

"I'll escort you." Unica offered. "Its dark you know."  
"No, I've got it." Duo picked up a candle.

"Watch your braid." Trish reminded him since there were now so many candles lit.

"Why would he need to? You're watching it for him." Unica shot at her.

"Shut up!" Heero almost screamed, but a loud clash of thunder silenced everyone.

"Honestly," Mena just wanted to keep the peace. "Let's get along. Especially if we're stuck like this."

"I'm hungry." Trish mumbled never having gotten a taco.

"I've got an idea-" Illini said she'd be back in a minute and went into the dark kitchen with a candle. Finding some chopsticks and marshmallows, she brought them back to the candles. "We'll roast marshmallows."  
"With chopsticks?" Joenen cocked his eyebrow.

"Sure, why not." Mena kneeled down and took one. Duo returned and sat off to the side of Mena away from her best friend and Trish.

"The candle light sure is romantic, isn't it?" Unica looked across the candle to Duo.

"Shut up." Heero growled.

"You shut up."

"Everyone shut up." Wufei still had his arms crossed sitting on the couch next to Heero. He had everyone quiet for a good three minutes.

"Want a marshmallow?" Mena offered him.

"No."  
"We could toast bread." Illini suggested.

"We could run around outside too," Heero mocked. "But no ones going to do it."

"Hey." Duo now glared. "Lighten up a little – you're looking just like Wufei sitting there leaned back with your arms crossed."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wufei demanded to know.

"Exactly what it sounded like." Duo told him. "We're not going anywhere soon so just enjoy the storm."  
"That's wreaking our Gundams?"

"They'll be fine," Duo turned back to his brown marshmallow. "If they can make it through an atmosphere they can survive this."

"The Gundams can," Mena looked to him. "But can the pilots?"  


__

Author's Note: Well isn't this just the little soap opera. Eh, well don't worry, FY characters are coming soon.


	3. Take My Hand, Come With Me

Author's Note: This chapter is short, I know, but it's the end of one part and the beginning of a new __

Author's Note: This chapter is short, I know, but it's the end of one part and the beginning of a new.

***

The next morning everyone set out in the mushy grass toward the Gundams. The night had been spent telling ghost stories once they'd concluded that there wasn't much else to do. Duo almost died from suffocation from both Trish and Unica needing someone to hold on to once the stories started. Wufei became rather amused from the scene, while Mena watched Wufei's eyes in the candlelight in her own dream that she knew she'd have to wake up too early from. No one slept much, but it ended up being like a sleepover with pillows and blankets sprawled covering the living room floor.

The power didn't return that morning so Illini toasted bread over candles for breakfast. It would only take the afternoon and a long hose to rinse off the mud that had the Gundams planted. They'd still be leaving that day. 

"_Duo_!" Trish wailed flinging herself on him as if she was losing the love of her life since in her mind she was.

"Trish," he hugged her as a friend. "It'll be OK." Her eyes were red and puffy with tears. 

"Trish, you'll see him again," Unica came from behind. "He'll come back for me." Trish only glared before she was pushed out of the way, "I brought you a gift, to always remember me by." Unica presented him with a purple wrapped box as Trish cussed wishing she had thought of a gift. Inside was a white wife beater and a portrait of Duo and Unica embraced, him holding her to his bare chest since both were nude. "I figured you'd look good in white." Unica acted a little shy to the portrait. 

"_Thanks_," Duo had a bit of an awkward grin on his face not sure what to do in the moment *sweat drop*. "I'll –uh put it on right now." He went into the house to change, very well aware that he could have swapped shirts right there, but Illini was in the kitchen and he had to see her before he left; if he didn't get away from Trish and Unica now, he knew he wouldn't get the chance.

Duo put the box with the portrait on the table and swapped shirts before turning and leaning on the counter across from Illini who was making sushi. Either she hadn't noticed him come in, or she didn't want to stare while he changed. "If you could go anywhere right now, just up and go, where would it be?" Illini looked up surprised to hear her own question being asked.

"I don't know," she was put on the spot. "Anywhere, but here I guess."

"Ever been to Konan?" she shook her head. "Beautiful place, you ought to go."

"Like my parents would let me."

"You parents don't let you do a lot of things, but you do them." he winked causing her to smile. "If I can make you love me," he was looking in her eyes. "You're out of reasons to stay." 

"If you can't?" Who here doesn't want Ms. Pessimistic to shut up?

"I seemed to have a way with girls." nodding his head back in the direction of the arguing Trish and Unica outside. She laughed looking down at the seaweed and gathering her thoughts. "It wouldn't be so bad having a cook along with us. I mean, come on, out there all we eat is junk food most of the time."

"Do you think Wufei would appreciate my presence?" she asked. 

"No one's got to know," Duo sure did look good in that wife beater, though he turned serious. "I know you're not happy here, but if you want to return then I'll always bring you back."

This normally wouldn't be such a hard invitation to accept, but he was right about her not happy there and she knew it. Though leaving so suddenly, that was what was so difficult to agree with. Though Illini inhaled deeply before looking up, "If I leave, I don't ever want to come back."

***

Mena wasn't sure if she should give Wufei a picture of herself dressed in a pilot's uniform, as not to forget her proposal on being a Gundam pilot. She knew she couldn't just give him her phone number or anything, but she didn't want to slip out of his life as she was about to his. She couldn't give him anything personal, because he didn't know she liked him like that. Though what would be right to give him? 

Emerging from her room with a little plastic model of the Shenlong Gundam that had taken her a month to construct the small pieces and paint them, she heard Illini in her room, "Hey," Mena knocked and hung in the doorway until she realized what her sister was doing, though she asked anyway, "What are you doing?"

Illini jumped, surprised to have been found, "I'm packing."

"Why?" Mena walked in and saw Illini's favorite robes, all black, being rolled up on her bed and packed into her backpack that was also being filled with other stuff.

"You know my life's not going to go far on this planet." Illini wasn't sure how to put it.

"Well mine's not either, but I'm not leaving!" Mena stated immediately angry.

"I'll be safe –I'll be with _Gundam pilots_." 

"What?" Mena was taken back.

"Duo asked me to go with him,"

"Duo?" Mena was now completely confused. "What are you talking about? Why Duo? Why you?"  
"He likes me," Illini kept packing as she spoke. "He wants me to come with him, and I want to go. I won't be in any danger."

"I'm not worried about that," Mena sighed. Calming down in all seriousness, she began to realize and take in the situation. "I'm worried that I won't see you again if you leave." Illini stopped packing and hugged her sister. The two would hold back the tears being strong,

"I'm gonna to miss you, but I'm gonna be alright." Illini advised, "Make it easy on yourself, don't worry about me."

"How can I do that?" Mena need to know, "Unica's going to kill me, I have no idea what to do with Trish-"

"Shh," Illini hushed her. "No one's going to know."

"What should I tell mom and dad?"

"Tell them..." Illini trailed off trying to think of the best way to put it for her strict parents, but she couldn't figure it out. "Tell them, 'Good-bye'."

***

"_Duo_!" Trish and Unica wailed in unison. 

"We're not waiting up, Duo." Heero said before boarding the repaired Wing Zero. 

"I made this a while back, and I want you to have it," Wufei took the little Gundam presented to him. "Just to remember your stay," Mena acted as if it was something she'd just shrug off.

"Thank you," he said formally. "For your warmth and hospitality. I'll remember it." Hearing those words, Mena smiled. She watched Wufei board the Shenlong and went to help pry Trish and Unica off Duo.

"Have a safe trip and all," Joenen gave Duo a big brother-type hug after they shook hands 'gangsta style'. 

"You're coming back!" Unica called reminding him.

"I am!" Duo called back seeing her clutching the silver chain he'd given her. Having to make both of them happy with going-away-gifts, he'd also given Trish a rose. 

As Mena and Joenen pulled the girls up to the house since they had to be a safe distance away from the Gundams as they took off, a large gust of wind nearly knocked the four of them over. Just as they had seen them crash land, Unica and Mena turned around and watched as the massive Gundams faded through the white clouds. It was merely a moment afterwards that Joenen suddenly asked, "Where's Illini?"


End file.
